Bush to Host Talabani on Tuesday

WASHINGTON – President Bush, who canceled a visit this week with the president of China because of Hurricane Katrina, will meet next Tuesday with the president of Iraq.

Bush will host Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (search) at the White House before traveling to New York to attend a meeting at the United Nations (search).

Talabani was selected by the Transitional National Assembly to lead Iraq's first democratically elected government in more than 50 years.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Wednesday the two leaders will discuss the war on terrorism, efforts to build a democratic state in Iraq, the status of the draft Iraqi constitution and plans for a referendum in October and elections in December.

Iraqis will vote on the charter in an Oct. 15 referendum, with the outcome still not assured because of fundamental opposition from Sunni Arabs, who governed under former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (search).